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Agriculture in the populated islands of the Galapagos Archipelago, a protected area due to its unique biodiversity, has been detrimental to its conservation but highly required to meet food necessities. A potential solution to make agricultural farming more sustainable is adopting water-saving technologies (WSTs). Therefore, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of using WSTs such as Groasis Waterboxx® in three of the most valuable crops in the islands through participatory research with the involvement of a group of farmers from the Floreana and Santa Cruz islands and explore a possible transition to more sustainable agricultural practices. Capsicum annuum, Cucumis sativus and Solanum lycopersicum were cultivated using Groasis Waterboxx® and compared to conventional irrigation practices (drip-irrigated controls) to assess the variability of productivity, the number of fruits and individual fruit weight (IFW). In addition, differences in plant traits were analyzed by crop, and island. Results suggested that WSTs such as Groasis Waterboxx® may provide on-farm benefits regarding the yields of the studied traits. From this study, it is difficult to determine whether participation in such a research study will permanently change irrigation practices. However, the participant’s responses to the study suggest an increase in their understanding of the use and benefits of WST.

This study analyses the current condition of Machangara and Monjas rivers, by evaluating the quality of its waters. These rivers are an important part of the DMQ's water network and run through areas of high population density, receiving domestic and industrial discharges, daily. Physical and chemical parameters (flow, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and ORP) were evaluated by in situ monitoring, during the months of August, September, October and November 2014. Water samples were also taken for microbiological analysis (total coliforms TC and fecal coliforms FC) in laboratory, using the Multiple Tube Fermentation method, established by the Standard Methods. The analyzes show that both rivers far exceed the permissible limits established in TULSMA for total coliforms, fecal coliforms, temperature, and dissolved oxygen in the case of Monjas River. This prevents their use for wildlife preservation, and agricultural and livestock activities. A considerable increase in the flow of both rivers was also reflected on the results; in addition, the ORP value is in both, less than the 650mV optimum value. The results obtained confirm the poor water quality of the studied rivers, which is why a recovery project based on a SSF wetland system, is proposed, showing possible construction sites and the advantages this system has (environmentally friendly, affordable and with significant community benefits) compared with conventional treatment systems.